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Thistle & Shamrock Ends 9/30

The long-running radio show focusing on Celtic music will cease production on September 30:

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/28/g-s1-6875/nprs-the-thistle-shamrock-radio-program-to-end-this-fall

There appears to be no plan to replace the show at NPR. The 237 stations that have carried it will now have a hole to fill.
If NPR isn't going to send any content down the line, are stations free to grab old shows from the archives and air them indefinitely? You make it sound as if the stations are going to have to whip up a brand new, locally originated program every week or broadcast dead air. Surely there's a convenient, realistic solution, isn't there?
 
If NPR isn't going to send any content down the line, are stations free to grab old shows from the archives

NPR isn't a 24/7 network. So when this show goes away, stations look to other non-com suppliers or fill it locally.

Which archives would they go to? Unless the station has held on to the old shows, that archives is under lock & key. The rights to access it are controlled by the show producer and NPR. When Car Talk ceased production, the producers made old shows available. I don't see any offer to do that here.

The public radio system is an open system where anyone can become a syndicator and have access to the same satellite distribution system as NPR. So if an independent producer wants to fill the void and offer a replacement show, they can do so. Thistle & Shamrock began as a local show at WFAE. Perhaps another station does a similar show. Remember that the stations get the bulk of the CPB money, and they make programming decisions locally, rather than depend strictly on NPR. There's American Public Media and other competing non-com producers that stations can look to for programming.
 
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We'd been carrying it and it had a few fans. but I dropped it about 6 months ago to make room for something else.. obviously, i have only 24 hours in one day and i came across something that would have a bigger base of listeners.

If the show ends production and they dont offer refeeds by offering the shows for download or send them over content depot, then you likely cant keep running it.

We were one of the last stations to be running Car Talk and I contacted WGBH for the archives, but no dice. We ran automated country music till i found a replacement show... Travel with rick steves. I did end up adding another car/truck repair show, "The car doctor with ron ananian"
 
If NPR isn't going to send any content down the line, are stations free to grab old shows from the archives and air them indefinitely?
No. Licenses to air syndicated radio programs are not perpetual.

You make it sound as if the stations are going to have to whip up a brand new, locally originated program every week or broadcast dead air. Surely there's a convenient, realistic solution, isn't there?
In all probability the stations that aired "Thistle" will pick up another show from NPR, APM or PRX. Maybe "Mountain Stage" or "American Routes" if they don't already run it.
Or an extra run of "RadioLab".
 
No. Licenses to air syndicated radio programs are not perpetual.


In all probability the stations that aired "Thistle" will pick up another show from NPR, APM or PRX. Maybe "Mountain Stage" or "American Routes" if they don't already run it.
Or an extra run of "RadioLab".

mountain stage is a great show and i love that its hosted by kathy mattea!we carry an hour of that, dropped back from 2 hours after i added an indigenous music show
 
I will certainly miss T&S. In recent months, its programs seemed as good as ever. It was a reason to support KXPR.
Anyone remember a program out of Kansas City called Ballads, Bards, and Bagpipes?
 
Long ago, I got my first FM radio station license from the FCC. The newspapers asked me what kind of music was I going to play? I told them Irish folk music. The experts thought I must be crazy and would soon be broke. Other broadcasters tried to do me in. But, they all went broke instead of me.

I, spent years in the UK and Ireland collecting it and got to know many musicians.

I, didn't really play just Irish folk. And, we still do it today.
 
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